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What does it mean to be neurodiverse?
Being neurodiverse refers to differences in the way that people process information, present behaviorally and function. It is estimated that 15-20% of the workforce have some type of neurodivergence, which is a significant amount of people. Neurodivergencies can include autism, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more. In this blog, we will offer our professional opinion on how to support neurodiversity in the workplace.
A neurodiverse workplace incorporates employees who are both neurodivergent and neurotypical. Likely, your workplace is already neurodiverse, but it is important to support staff members with neurodivergence and focus on creating an inclusive and more successful environment.
Here at Blue Tree HR Solutions, we recognise that stigma and a lack of awareness can cause exclusion in the workplace. We all must work to foster environments that emphasise people’s strengths whilst providing support for their differences and needs.
How to support neurodiversity in the workplace
1. Make people aware of the available accommodations
As a small business, you’ll want to ensure that your staff are aware of accommodations that can be made for those with any type of neurodiversity to provide an inclusive workplace. The kind of accommodations that can be made include things such as noise-cancelling headphones and extra time for tasks, close-captioned meetings and more flexible work schedules.
2. Offer flexibility to your staff
Flexibility in the workplace can be a benefit to all, not just those employees with neurodivergence. This can aid in the retention of staff and attract new talent. Flexibility in the workplace can come in the form of remote work options, flexible hours and personalised workspaces.
Having a flexible workplace should help your staff to feel valued whilst also reducing stress and promoting a work-life balance.
3. Adopt neurodiverse recruitment strategies
Neurodiverse talent can often be overlooked when using the traditional recruitment process. By being too rigid in your approach you could miss out on opportunities for potential talent.
The recruitment process should be designed in an all-inclusive way focusing on skill-based formats and offering alternative formats for interviewing where appropriate. All of this can help you with how to support neurodiversity in the workplace.
4. Provide clear communication with employees
Clear communication is important across an organisation but is particularly important to those with neurodivergencies who process information differently. When looking at how to support neurodiversity in the workplace, some ways to ensure clear communication can include providing written instructions and visual aids as well as offering regular check-ins with your employees.
5. Raise awareness and educate your team
If you’re still wondering how to support neurodiversity in the workplace, raising awareness can help to break the stigma, promote empathy and help everyone feel more comfortable talking about the topic in general. Neurodiversity training can be a great option to empower employees and aid employees in providing appropriate responses to staff members who may disclose a neurodiverse diagnosis.
6. Break down barriers within the workplace
Focusing on the strengths and capabilities of your staff rather than the challenges will enforce a positive workplace culture and help break down barriers. By having a ‘can do’ attitude, workplaces can create a better and more neuro-inclusive environment. A more accepting workplace values the promotion of equality and diversity.
The benefits of having a neurodiverse team within the workplace
Neurodiverse workplaces may have a competitive advantage by bringing different perspectives and skills to the forefront. Benefits like creativity, increased problem-solving skills, and attention to detail can be qualitative traits of those who have neurodivergence.
By having a team that feels valued, you can improve employee retention and reap the benefits of higher levels of engagement and productivity.
It is not only legal compliance to not discriminate against those with neurodivergence, but by embracing neurodiversity in the workplace you can foster a workplace culture that promotes inclusivity and where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
For more information on Our top six tips on how to support neurodiversity in the workplace talk to Blue Tree HR Solutions